ASW Reading Group

What Adam Smith Can Teach Us About Civil Discourse

What Adam Smith Can Teach Us about Civil Discourse

Wednesday evenings through April at 6:00 p.m. EDT. 

When you join the meeting, your microphone will be muted but your webcam should be on to facilitate the best environment for discussion. Be sure to attend the first session for an overview of how to use the Zoom platform as well as for an introductory discussion of the work. 

Session 1: Introduction

3 April, 6:00 p.m. EDT for 30–60 min

Session 2: Discussion 1 - Smith’s System of Mutual Sympathy

10 April, 6:00 p.m. EDT for 60 min

Reading: Part I, Section I “Of the Sense of Propriety,” Chapters I-V (Liberty Fund paperback edition, pp. 9-26)

Chapter 1: Of Sympathy

Session 3: Discussion 2 - The importance of judgement

17 April, 6:00 p.m. EDT for 60 min

Reading: Part II Section 1 "Of the Sense of Merit and Demerit", Introduction and Chapter 1 (Liberty Fund paperback edition, pp. 67–69); 

Introduction      

Part II Section 2 "Of Justice and Beneficence" (pp. 78–91)

Session 4: Discussion 3 (final) - When we fail to sympathize

24 April, 6:00 p.m. EDT for 60 min

Reading: Part 1, Section 3, “Of the Effects of Prosperity and Adversity upon the Judgment of Mankind with regard to the Propriety of Action; and why it is more easy to obtain their Approbation in the one state than in the other”, chapters 2–3 (Liberty Fund paperback edition, pp. 50–66)